Life on Earth
by D3stiny-Sm4sher
Summary: Sand was...so different when it wasn't submerged in water. It took on a whole new life. Dry, wet, or fully submerged, sand operated differently, depending on the circumstances around it. So many things on this planet seemed to do this – change, transform – and there were so many opportunities for them to do so. (LapiDot)
1. Part 1

(Broken into three parts for easier reading)

–

 _ **A/N: This is a holiday gift to my lovely mollifiable.  
When asked for a short story subject, she gave me this series, the characters 'Lapis x Peridot,' and the prompt 'Helping.' This story ended up becoming longer than I expected! It's almost like I love this series or something.**_

 _ **This one-shot takes place sometime between the episodes 'Beta' and 'Gem Harvest.'**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy, Max-to-my-Chloe.**_

–

" _Rather than admit defeat, I decided to change my goals.  
I told myself that I'd never really cared about learning the language.  
My main priority was to get the house in shape.  
The verbs would come in due time, but until then I needed a comfortable place to hide."_  
~ David Sedaris

 **Steven Universe**  
 _Life on Earth_

–

"Mee- _yurrrrghhh…_ "

The compact block moved a few more inches across the grass.

A contemplative pause. She shifted her positioning.

She tried again.

" _Hee-_ _ **uuurrrrfff…-!**_ "

Another few more inches.

Peridot sure had a lot of...energy...But Lapis had come to notice that the ex-grunt turned ally built gizmos and gadgets for good reason: she didn't seem capable of doing much in and of herself, like most Gems could.

Lapis' time struggling with Jasper beneath the seemingly boundless ocean had made her even more durable. Strong. Being trapped in a mirror for so long had similarly hardened her spirit.

But Peridot's time on this bizarre mishmash of traits that passed as a planet? It had obviously made the scrawny Gem soft.

Or maybe it was Steven who had done that.

Steven, a hybrid Gem/human, seemed to have a knack for that. When Lapis considered it that way, maybe it...wasn't so bad to be a little soft.

"Grrr- _eeearrghhhh...-!_ "

"Need help with that?" Lapis posed dryly, her arms having been crossed this whole time.

Panting grumpily, Peridot let herself fall to the dirt beside the heavy object she'd been trying to move. It looked like...some kind of container? Almost? But based on Peridot's difficulty transporting it, it must've been quite condensed and heavy for how small it was.

Peridot seemed to have ignored – or maybe not heard? – Lapis' vague offer. But she also seemed to be nearly finished. Her target appeared to be the worn device not too far off.

It was some chunk of...metal and mechanisms, human-built. It _looked_ almost like those devices the humans used to quickly move to and fro in the absence of wings. Only this one was...smaller, more compact. Its wheels were tiny, and it had no protective cockpit.

Ignoring Lapis' question, Peridot kicked her little legs against the dirt, pushing herself back up to her feet, and tried again, putting her back into it. This, of course, had a minimal effect. Lapis then noticed the trail of flattened grass and shifted dirt that Peridot must've traveled along from the barn – how long had she been trying to move this thing?

"Eee- _yaaahhhghhh..._ -!"

"Peridot."

"Huh?" Peridot huffed, looking up at her unamused roommate.

"Did you hear me?"

"Uuuhhh...-"

"What are you doing with that thing?" Lapis' eyes narrowed. "What _is_ that thing, even?"

Peridot's eyes sparked with energy, her fists balled up against her chest, and she hopped a little on her toes.

" _This_ is nothing, _this_ is merely some archaic, electrochemical power cell. _Pff._ An acid-based energy source? _No wonder_ humans haven't left this planet yet!"

Ohhhh kay. Lapis had...gotten her all riled up. Great...

"But Lapis, Lapis!" Peridot squealed as she pranced a bit toward the vehicle up ahead. "Those organic shards we embedded in the dirt?"

"Seeds?"

"Right, right! Yes!" she was shouting a little from the slight distance. " _This_ will help us foster their growth!" She thrust her little arms out toward the... _thing._

"Uh... _huh_." Lapis questioned her roommate's theory.

With a dubious demeanor, Lapis approached the machine that had become Peridot's current obsession. She'd move on to a new one in a day or two, but...for now...-

"All I have to do is get it _working,_ by replacing its power source. And then...once I have it operational, it'll...make this whole...' _farr-ming_ ' process _so_ much easier. We'll have a small _army_ of Kuh-Orn soldiers in _no time...Our experiment_ will be a success!"

And there was that smug little pride of hers. Lapis hadn't decided if she much cared for it when Peridot spoke and acted that way, but...it was at least starting to grow on her a bit.

Lapis took note of the manual and tools strewn about in front of this vehicle. Portrayed on the cover of the manual was a human, riding one such device, wearing silly pants and a silly hat.

"So...-?" Lapis wondered, her hands latched cautiously on her elbows. "What _is_ this thing?"

"This, my good Gem-" Peridot beamed cockily, slapping her palm against the metal surface. "-is a...Track-Tohr."

Peridot paused for effect, her eyes closed and her mouth shaped into a proud grin.

"Aaaaaand-" Lapis slowly considered, "it does... _what?_ Exactly?"

The edges of Peridot's grin withered. A second later, her eyes popped open, sliding sideways.

" _Yuhhh_ -...It, uhhh...-"

Lapis smirked at Peridot's pride and excitement seeping out in an instant. It wasn't that she liked seeing Peridot be disappointed – it was more that seeing the oh-so-sophisticated Gem have her moments of confusion was kind of adorable.

"You _ride_ it," Peridot suddenly cited (her voice cracked impatiently). Shuffling her way back to the blocky power cell she'd been trying to transport, Peridot grumbled hastily, "I-...I've done research on this...'A-Grow-Cultural' process, and...and it just-...You _ride it._ "

"Of course," Lapis dryly acknowledged with a soft chuckle, following Peri with her arms still crossed. "Seems important."

"Exactly!"

The real reason Peridot was dead-set on repairing this chunk of human tech, Lapis figured, was more because Peridot had been getting bored out here amongst Earthy nature. She needed devices to fix, to fiddle with, to tinker on...So Lapis wasn't going to convince Peridot otherwise. It'd be like trying to tell Lapis Lazuli not to fly.

They reached the power cell, and-...Well, Lapis had to watch. Just one more time.

" _Grrr_ -yeeeehhh...-!"

Yup. Still amusing.

"Um, Peridot?"

"... _Yeh?"_ Peridot grunted through her recovery.

Lapis walked over to the block, wriggled her hands around it until had a firm grip, and launched herself up into the air. It was a little heavy, sure, but she was used to carrying Steven around. Mere seconds later, and the power cell was on the ground right beside the 'Track-Tohr.'

Peridot, in the distance, paused awkwardly. As Lapis dusted her hands off on her dress, Peridot called out to her.

"...Why didn't you do that in the _first_ place?!"

"You didn't ask!" Lapis called back, shaking her head with a bemused smile.

Peridot was scurrying over with a bashful look about her, making her weird little grunts with each flurrying step.

"Well...I didn't ask just _now,_ either," Peri realized, avoiding Lapis' smile and staring at the heavy block in question.

"Oh. Did you want me to...put it back?" Lapis teased.

" _Nnnn-_ No!" Peridot spit out with a nervous laugh. "No-no-no, it's already…in a suitable location! Uh, thhhh- _anks_?"

"Yep."

"Yep?" Peridot grunted, puzzled.

"Uh...Yep?"

"I thought-...N-no, you say 'thanks,' and then...-"

"Right. You...just did."

"No-no-no, there's-...The proper response isn't 'Yep,' it's _...'You're welcome_!'"

"Well...'Yep' is what I...gave you..." Lapis was perplexed.

"Correct, but... _not_ correct. Also." Peridot's expression had turned into a confused shade of...sour.

Ugh. And here they went, with Peridot trying to practice more human mannerisms and getting all caught up in them.

" _Right_ ," Lapis puffed impatiently.

"Uhh, _no?_ Not right."

"Mm." Lapis' lips curled unpleasantly.

Try to do a nice thing for Peri, get confused by her response. Seemed to be the norm. Lapis was used to it. But it still disappointed her a little. Why that was didn't make much sense, but...-

"I...see you're not in a pleasant mood today," Peridot observed with a critical gaze.

"Have fun with your toy," Lapis sighed, forcing her wings out. "I'll be back at the barn, in case you need more heavy lifting..."

 _Which seems to be all I'm any good for, right?_

Lapis' brief flight back to the barn slowed before she reached the building – she could see a familiar, thin shape of a Gem in front of their makeshift home, pensively poking at the ornament they'd hung on the front of the barn.

As Lapis arrived, she realized it was the Pearl that lived with Steven. What was she doing there?

And why was she so concerned over their decoration?

"Pearl?" Lapis called out as she came in for her abrupt landing.

Pearl's shoulders twitched up with alarm, inadvertently flinging the dangling rope she'd been pondering over.

"Lapis!" Pearl awkwardly cried, spinning around with a nervous grin. A forced grin. And her hands tied behind her back.

The two just stared at each other for a silent moment. Or two. Maybe three.

When you spent so long _trapped,_ you know, time became a bit more flexible in interpretation.

"What...-?" Pearl started up. "What brings _you_ here? _Aheh._ Lapis?"

"I live here."  
No pretenses today.

"Y-yes, right! Of course."

"You know, because I'm… _stuck_ here? On this planet?"  
Definitely… _no_ pretenses.

".. _Elgh_ ," Pearl eked out a horribly awkward sound, still… _smiling._

More silence.

Expression unchanging, Lapis questioned, "What brings... _you_ here?"

Lapis could feel her hands clenching at her sides. She didn't quite... _mean_ to sound...mean. But she wasn't a fan of unwelcome or unexpected company. Not anymore. Maybe Peridot was correct: maybe she _was_ in a bad mood.

Pearl delicately touched the rope tied to their welcome ornament. "O-oh, just...tidying up your... _mess_." The judgment was apparent, but Lapis had gotten used to ignoring it.

"That's not a mess. It's intentional."

"... _Is_ it, though?" Pearl doubted with a courteous squeak in her voice, eyes squinting at the edges. She cast a sideways glance at their decoration.

"It's our meep-morp," Lapis tiredly explained. "It's exactly where it's supposed to be."

"Your...uh- _what_ now?" A nervous, flittery laugh.

Lapis sighed, asserting herself in front of Pearl and straightening her collaboration piece. The Earthly horns and Green-Face were arranged back the way they'd had them, with the rope danging down just so.

Lapis dryly cited, "Peridot says it represents our forced symbiotic relationship with this planet, which we're...now stuck on. But...-" Lapis shrugged. "It reminds me of the day we started making meep-morp."

Pearl blankly stared at Lapis, opened her lips slightly, then closed them with a solemn nod, her eyes narrowing with regret.

"Ah," Pearl eked out pathetically, but with that... _pushed_ volume, as if saying it loudly and politely made everything OK. "That...sounds _charming_..."

"Where's Steven?" Lapis wondered, cutting to the chase. "Why isn't he with you? Why are you _here?_ "

"I-...I was...-" Pearl started, twiddling her lanky fingers around each other. "W-well, I was hoping you'd...tell _me_...why I was here." Another artificial laugh. Actually, wait. No. It was genuine – genuinely worried.

"Why would I...tell you why you did something... _you_ did?" Lapis flatly demanded. She'd already gotten flustered by one know-it-all not five minutes prior. Her patience was a thin layer of ice and it was already melted. At this rate, she'd form that melted ice into a giant water fist and crush something. Or some _one._

Pearl's lips propped outward thoughtfully, and she folded her hands together into a neat, symmetrical gesture against her chest. She lightly tapped her fingertips together.

"Where's...Peridot?" Pearl asked, sidelining Lapis.

"Why?" Lapis pressed, remaining stoic. She wasn't going to just get brushed aside here. This was her home now, and she didn't like Crystal Gems snooping around. They'd caused her enough problems as it was. "Just spit it out," Lapis added, letting her drole tone dissolve into irritation.

"Y-you see," Pearl began squeamishly. "I was told that my help was...needed. Here. Today?"

"By who? Did Peridot want you here?"

Ugh. Not another _project._ Couldn't these Gems protect their weird human city on their own?

"Actually," Pearl sighed, rubbing her index finger along the edge of her forehead's Gem. "Garnet told me I should stop by to...help. She...-" Pearl's eyes narrowed and her voice cracked again. "She _insisted._ She has a sort of-...N-nevermind, I just...probably ought to speak with Peridot. Surely there's-"

That was when a loud - _ **POP-**_ echoed across the field. From Peridot's machine, of course. It was followed by a low rumbling. The rumbling of some junky human mechanism.

Lapis and Pearl turned to see blue smoke billowing up from the device.

"Ooo," Pearl grunted with some disconcerted disgust. Creasing her temple, she sighed. "Did she check the oil? Did she...at _least_ clean the carborator before starting that up? _Augh,_ but what if it's the piston rings...?"

"The...what?" replied Lapis, disinterested in being a part of this nonsense.

Peridot was shrieking and squawking in the distance. She bopped the machine with one of her tools a couple times. This did not stop the smoke from continuing to spill out.

Pearl's eyes rolled a bit and she let her hand fall back to her side.

"Ohhhh, dear," Pearl murmured quietly.

Without another word, Pearl trudged her way toward what Lapis knew was going to be...another project.

Worn out from these rather unproductive conversations, Lapis entered the barn.

She spent some time absorbing these...'feelings' she got when lingering around the collection of meep-morp she'd accumulated with Peridot. They didn't seem to be doing much for her that afternoon, though.

She watched Peridot's artificial companion drift through her aquarium. It was...looking pretty rough and ragged, weathered by the prolonged time it had spent submerged. It was _almost_ like being _stuck underwater for so long_ shaved away at one's... _everything._

Lapis then tinkered a bit with ' _Occupied,_ ' just for kicks. She still was a bit confused as to what Peridot found so hilarious about these ceramic chairs filled with water. Normally she had more fun with it...but she wasn't feeling it right then.

Lapis made her way around the room, but every morp she focused on only seemed to bore her.

But, like usual, she paid her last visit to ' _Wow. Thanks._ ' Peridot's carefully constructed piece utilizing the recording device Lapis had crushed in her hand. Lapis ran her fingertip along the blue ribbon planted at the top of the morp. Lapis…liked the ribbon. Peridot's hunch had been correct. Though it had taken Lapis quite some time to comprehend why Peridot would _actively_ want to keep such a broken thing around when it made her sad.

But by that point...somehow, it made sense to Lapis Lazuli.

There were purposes to stewing in the sadness. For one thing, they'd made her stronger, hadn't they?

Although, as she stared at the scribbled drawings on the broken recording machine...Lapis realized that this meep-morp even made her feel the opposite of sad when she looked at it now.

"Lapis?"

Lapis removed her finger from the ribbon, latching her hands behind her back as she observed Peridot lingering at the entrance.

"Hey," Lapis greeted.

"Whhhhhat are you doing?"

Lapis shrugged blankly.

"Passing time."

She'd gotten quite talented at passing time. If that could be considered a talent.

Lapis retorted, "What are _you_ doing? I thought you were working on your machine."

Peridot dribbled out a funny, dissatisfied noise, then ranted with some disbelief.

" _Pearl_ stepped in and told me to let _her_ work on it. She said I'd just get in her _way!_ Gaahhhh."

"So...she's helping us fix it?"

"Helping? _No!_ She's-...she's _undermining_ me. I _helped_ her with the drill. She just… _took over_ this one."

"But doesn't she...know how human technology _works_? A lot better than you do?"

Lapis stared with half open eyes of disinterest.

With squinted eyes of offense, Peridot stared back.

"... _So?_ "

Lapis sighed through her nose. "...Right."

"I could've fixed it myself."

Lapis mumbled, "You could've _also_ broken it."

"It's _already broken._ I couldn't really do any more damage..."

"You'd be surprised," Lapis murmured drearily, gently running her hand through a piece of the strange brown...ribbons...dangling from Peridot's broken recording device. She could feel a chill come over the Gem on her back, and she shivered.

Peridot dismissed the argument with, "I'd rather understand how it _functions_ first-hand than let someone else do it _for_ me..."

At Peridot's words, Lapis felt a strange sensation overcome her.

"That's...a good way to look at things, I guess," she admitted in spite of her own sour mood. She took her hands away from their meep-morp and glanced back to her housemate. "Peridot, you should let Pearl fix the-...the, um...-"

"The Track-Tohr."

Her lips slanted sideways with bridled disdain, Lapis nodded.

Lapis posed, "We should...go...somewhere."

" _...Meh?"_ Peridot grunted out, her tiny little arms hooked behind her back.

"How long has it been since we've...taken a trip?"

Peridot tapped at her chin, and her tiny little foot tapped in sync.

"Are we measuring in Earth time, or...-?"

"Let's just go somewhere."

"...Where would we _go?_ And for what _purpose?_ There's no outstanding tasks to take care of, unless you wanted to start irrigating, but...I thought we possessed all the materials we needed for that already."

Poor Peridot still didn't seem to get it. So Lapis tried to explain it on the other Gem's terms.

" _Fff._ Peridot, I mean...we could take a break. From the barn. From...farr-ming. And a-grow-culture. It's not every day you don't have...something to work on."

"Well...sure, I guess," Peridot shrugged. "But, again: for what _purpose_? Why do we need to go anywhere?"

"We don't _need_ to," Lapis said through a soft chuckle, scratching at the side of her head uncertainly. Maybe this wasn't such a smart idea. They might have come from the same planet, and were now _stuck_ on the same planet, but...two different worlds... "I just-...It'd help me feel better? I think."

"Is something wrong?" Peridot pondered suspiciously, like trying to analyze "Did something remind you of Jass-... _errrhh_ , I mean...-" The way Peridot's face flashed pale with regret was...cute. She seemed more wary of bringing up Jasper than Lapis was herself, which...felt nice.

"No, it's not that," Lapis put the Gem's worries at ease. "Hm...-" Lapis crossed her arms and tapped her finger against herself as she studied their collection of meep-morps. As usual, her eyes fell thoughtfully upon _'Wow. Thanks.'_ She considered Peridot's words from earlier. "You said you prefer...learning how things work directly."

Peridot nodded, still confused.

Lapis walked past her and into the sunlight beyond the barn's entryway doors.

"Look at it as...a way for us to understand each other's...-" She sighed, shrugging up one shoulder. "-...functionality," she finished, giving Peri a sly smirk over her shoulder.

She caught Peri's eyes glaze over a bit at the Gem embedded in her back – which she may or may not have been intentionally drawing a gaze toward.

"Ah," Peridot eked out in a sheepish mumble. "Like...-" Her face beamed with realization. "Like Percy and Pierre!"

Lapis couldn't hold back the laugh that emerged. Smiling to herself, she nodded with amusement, and a snort dribbled out through her laugh.

"Right," she conceded, looking out toward their recently planted plot of soon-to-be-soldiers. "Yea, I guess like those two..."

"Oh! We should visit Steven!" Peridot cried out, her excitement still gushing out. "Steven's _skilled_ at attaining understanding of other lifeforms! Maybe he could teach us! Also...I could show you the bizarre room I was trapped in against my will! With a functioning _toilet._ _Hilarious._ "

By then, Peridot had scampered out of the barn, eager to head off.

Lapis was a little...unsure of such an idea, but...if it was what Peridot wanted, all right. She was willing to give it a try – and then inevitably redirect their escapade somewhere less...emotionally stressful, when the time came to run off elsewhere.

And the time for Lapis to run away _always_ came.

Lapis flicked up her arm, willing a fist of water from their small Gem-made pond to close the barn door behind them. As she proceeded to approach Pearl's repair job, Peridot followed, her little feet thumping through the grass with vigor.

" _Oh,_ ohhh-ohhh!Maybe we can see if Steven has that missing disc from _'Camp Pining Hearts'_ Season 2! Then we'd _finally_ understand why Paulette was so morally conflicted during her verbal skirmish at the Season's conclusion!"

Lapis chuckled softly as they walked together, long legs and short legs taking steps quite out of sync.

"I dunno," Lapis mumbled thoughtfully. "I...kind of like reading between the lines like that. Interpreting things we don't know with certainty."

"You like _mystery_ ," Peridot slyly observed.

"Yea. I guess so."

"But without the details," Peridot complained softly, "without a logical, cohesive resolution – fully and empirically portrayed – how can you be _satisfied?_ "

Lapis let a gentle sigh spill out and shrugged. "That's fair," she dismissed the topic, not at all interested in another debate about the show. "Maybe I've...just gotten _used_ to never being satisfied to begin with."

"Never satisfied with what?" asked Pearl, amiss from their conversation. She was wiping grimy black goo from her hands on a rag.

"Nothing," Lapis shooed away the subject. "Look, um...Pearl?"

" _Yehhhsss_?" Pearl replied slowly, her face already right back into the mechanisms before her.

Lapis asked, "What...direction is it to your...home? Again?"

There was a **-clunk-** as Pearl's tool dinged something in her haste to pull herself back out of her work.

"Beg your pardon?" said Pearl – she hadn't misheard, though she was certainly wondering if she had.

Lapis mumbled, "We've been...working hard lately on the land, and...figured we could...-"  
"-pay our best human buddy a visit – in person, in the stone!"

Peridot had finished Lapis' thought a little too...eagerly. Pearl looked...concerned.

"Unless," Peridot worked in facetiously, "you'd rather _I_ take that repair project off your hands and...fix it myself?"

Pearl's eyes rolled, widely and dubiously.

"I'd be... _much_ more comfortable finishing this task on my own," Pearl explained, realigning her weird metal stick around a weird metal... _thing_ , and...twisting it some more. "If you _must_ cure your boredom-" She stuck her hand off in a direction. "-Beach City is approximately-"

 _ **-FWOOSH**_ -

That was all the instructions they needed, _thank you_ very much.

Lapis was carrying Peridot through the sky in an instant, her arms latched firmly around Peridot's. There was a certain thrill to the way the mass of Peri's arms tightened within Lapis' fingers. The way Peri's stubby fingers gripped at her own blue limbs. The poor Gem's strength was lacking in a way Steven's was not, and so...Lapis would have to readjust her hold so as to ensure the little green one's safety.

Peridot said not a word for some time, following Lapis' lead of silence and allowing herself to be carried not unlike a human infant. The sights of trees, of grass, of human roads and wheeled machines and...just all of the bizarre structures, all of the strange noises...it was a bit overwhelming. But the higher they flew, the less distracting this got. And the more Lapis could appreciate the simple truth of Peridot trusting her own life within Lapis' arms.

The lair of the Crystal Gems was not difficult to track down – the cliff with the ominous Fusion statue embedded within was...yea. Easy to spot. Despite being called 'Beach City,' there didn't seem to be many humans upon its beach. Lapis did not mind.

She also did not mind that Peridot didn't go squawking out something like, _'THERE IT IS THERE IT IS!'_ or anything of the sort.

Instead, the pair of them came in for a smooth, brisk landing along the shore, and Lapis cut it so close as to drag Peridot's feet through the sand and feel her arms wriggle with alarm, her little legs flail – and, ultimately, her triangular head flop into the sand. Skidding to her own stop, Lapis let herself tumble and roll through the grains of sand. So many teeny-tiny pieces of rock and stone, worn down by the ocean into massive amounts of miniscule specks. Even on a planet like this, water was mighty, making slow but definitive work of rough and tough rocks.

Having landed on her back, water wings tucked in, Lapis wiped blue bangs from her sight, spread out her limbs, and let herself absorb the salty sea air, the bright blue sky, the...-  
-sound of Peridot spitting sand frantically from her mouth.

"What was with that _landing,_ Lapis?" Peridot grumbled, shaking particles from her eyewear as she stood up.

Still sprawled in the sand, Lapis smiled.

"Felt like trying something different, I guess," she decided.

As Peridot approached, she grumbled, "Are you _sure_ you're not...malfunctioning?" She paused, staring down at Lapis, and her tone turned low and awkward. "I-I mean, you're...OK, right?"

Lapis sat upright, shook her head wildly, flinging sand all around, and took a deep breath for the sake of enjoying the scent of the air. She smiled up at Peridot, whose expression seemed to get all the more flustered. For some reason, Lapis was feeling particularly interested in flustering Peridot today – and unpredictable behavior seemed like the fastest way to get there.

Lapis replied, scratching sand from her head, "I'm in a weird mood today."

When she looked back up, Peridot had her arm extended toward her – well, what little distance said arm could extend, ha. She was glancing off sideways. Yea. Flustered.

Lapis found the gesture comical (Peridot was way shorter, so she couldn't really pull Lapis up) but a bit charming at the same time. Lapis played along. She accepted the little hand, felt the little tug, and used her wings to propel herself to her feet. Peridot almost fell backwards, confused, but gave a sort of half-smile, half-grimace of embarrassment as she recovered her footing and realized what had just happened.

"I'm...-" Lapis drizzled out an amused but content sigh. "-...probably not making any sense today."

"You don't make sense _most_ of the time," Peridot stated bluntly. "But...-" She grinned widely – too widely. "But that's _life on Earth_ for you, am I right?" Her eyes twinkled with pride at her...joke?

Lapis wasn't one for 'jokes,' but...she found it kind of cute the way Peri was. And after all, Peridot seemed...to _not_ understand jokes any better than Lapis did, only...Peridot put forth effort into trying.

With a little, single chuckle-snort, Lapis shrugged up one shoulder, surveying the empty beach.

"It's true. Maybe...we should try making _more_ sense of it if we're...going to be living here."

" _I_ would like to state that we have been exerting a _lot_ of effort at understanding human culture, observing their phenomenon, aaaand _adapting_ to it."

"Sure, but...-" Lapis approached the rolling waves against the shore. "There's always more we could learn." She made the incoming waves swerve around her feet. "There's always more to understand..."

"And _we_ shall understand _all of it_ by the time we're done!"

Lapis released her grip on the waves, letting them lick at her toes.

She countered wistfully, "Mm, but...the Crystal Gems have been living on this planet for...thousands of years, and...there's still so much _they_ don't know."

"But _Steven's_ only existed for...for such a _miniscule_ period, and he seems to understand even more than _they_ do."

Lapis was caught off guard by that plain sentiment. That was...rather true, actually. And Steven was half Gem.

"Oh, you're...right," she acknowledged. It was...pretty easy to forget that Steven wasn't...as old as his Gem. Quite a...weird conundrum. He didn't seem to retain the knowledge, nor memories of his Gem, but...then, how could he know so much about Earth in so short a time?

"I've been considering the circumstances," Peridot went on, "and I've realized that the deciding factor seems to be that Steven exists _amongst_ humans for a large portion of time. He intentionally _absorbs_ and _observes_ Earth's traits, human culture, _all of it_! Almost constantly."

"Sounds exhausting," Lapis ruminated.

"Certainly, certainly," Peridot conceded. She raised her palms up cautiously as Lapis walked away from the ocean's edge. "Hear me out, though: this far-ming process, it could be just the _beginning._ Think of what knowledge, what understanding we could obtain from even _occasional_ visits to a _real_ human ecosystem?"

That idea sounded like the exact opposite of what Lapis wanted.

But Peridot was...so... _excited_ about it. And Lapis knew how. She knew why: Steven.

Steven seemed to have that kind of effect on Gems. Or, well, anyone, really, from what Lapis could tell.

Lapis walked through the sand, past Peridot, toward the house by the cliff. With each step, hundreds of miniscule mineral particles clung to her damp feet. Sand was...so _different_ when it wasn't submerged in water. It took on a whole new life. Dry, wet, or fully submerged, sand operated differently, depending on the circumstances around it. So _many_ things on this planet seemed to do this – change, transform – and there were _so_ many opportunities for them to do so.

And here _she'd_ been...sitting. Struggling. Locked away. Tied down.

 **Stuck.**

And now that she was free, what had she been doing with her freedom?

Not much of anything.

Lapis Lazuli had gotten so used to...having nothing to do, she'd...started doing _nothing_.

Maybe Peridot could see this.

Maybe she couldn't.

Maybe Peridot was right, either way.

"I-I mean," Peridot hastily amended, following her roommate across the beach. "I might be a bit, _urhh,_ over-eager on this, so...so don't take it as a forced-"  
"Let's do it."

"... _Meh?_ "

As they walked through the warm sand, Lapis marveled quietly at the mighty image of an imposing Fusion she'd never heard of, portrayed in withered stone, towering before them in the distance.

She replied to Peridot, "I think you're right. Life on Earth...it doesn't mean the same thing as _living_ on Earth. Maybe-...Maybe that's what we're missing."

Lapis kept her eyes locked on the...downright _strange_ structure before her. How could Gems _willingly_ choose to dwell in such an...ugly little thing? There was barely any space, from the look of it. But, well...this was how humans lived, apparently.

"Uh...Lapis?" Peridot eked out dubiously. Fretfully. "I'm, erh...not sure I follow."

"That's OK," Lapis decided, having expected such a response. "I'll...try to explain it to you later."

" _Mreh._ "

The building was close now.

Peridot began to get worked up with her vigor.

She whispered enthusiastically, "Steven will be _startled_ by our presence! I mean, _us,_ visiting _him?_ Expectations will be _rearranged!_ "

"Yea," said Lapis, pausing as she reached the archaic stairs. The railing was dry and rough against her hand. Like their new home in the barn. Were all human living spaces...like this? "It'll...be a nice surprise for him, won't it?"

Peridot sprinted past Lapis, scampered up the steps on all fours. The wood rattled beneath her speed, and Lapis pursued, each step bringing a new creak, a new flex, and new question.

" _ **Steeeeeeev**_ - _eghh?!"_

Peridot had stopped by the entrance way, fists latched to her hips, and had called out for attention...only to be startled by what revealed itself.

"Hello."

The voice was calm, controlled, and...unsurprised.

"Guh-guh- _Garnet_!" Peridot squeaked out sheepishly. "Hello!..There...Also!"

Lapis reached the top of the stairs and noted the unique Fusion looming before them, blocking their entry. The cold, sterile expression...it unsettled her a bit. But...perhaps being calm and sterile was better for a Fusion than being _angry_ and _chaotic._

Garnet said nothing. She just...stood there.

"Um...-" Lapis wasn't in the mood for another Crystal Gem to be...holding her back.

"Steven's not here," Garnet replied simply. "He's training with Amethyst."

"...Training?" Peridot said with some disappointment.

"Yup," said Garnet.

"Like... _combat_ training?" Lapis asked, uneasy about the very idea of Steven...hurting anyone. Or even _learning_ how to hurt anyone.

"Exactly like," said Garnet.

She wasn't budging an inch, or emoting... _anything._ Hm.

"Can we...-" Lapis crossed her arms, paused, and swallowed her frustration. "-...maybe _wait_ for him?"

Garnet adjusted her reflective eyepiece. It shimmered in the light reflecting from the beach, the sea behind them.

"Sure," said Garnet. This time, however, she _shrugged._

And they all stood. For a few seconds.

Quietly.

Awkwardly.

Peridot started laughing. It began with an ' _aha_ ' kind of laugh, and...then she kind of pushed it further.

"Oh, _Garnet,_ you-...you're _hilarious!_ We were...-!" Peridot nudged Lapis' shin with her elbow. "Lapis, Garnet was...just going to have us _literally_ wait here! In place! Unmoving! Earth humor is...just...-!"

"Can we wait _inside_?" Lapis demanded, that icy patience having melted again. She tried to stare Garnet down, but...it was hard to read how Garnet felt about this question.

Garnet nodded. Then shifted herself two enormous steps to the left. Then stood...quietly.

Peridot gasped with giddy glee as she scrambled in. Lapis followed – cautiously.

Garnet didn't move.

Peridot cackled maniacally, thrusting up her fists.

"At long last, we can witness the episodes of Season 2 which have eluded us for _so long!_ "

Peridot continued to laugh...or grunt? Sort of both.

She made way for a raised section of this...strange living structure. Lapis could see a video block residing on the floor up there.

Lapis was...less comfortable charging headlong into this place.

Garnet was just... _standing_ there. Guarding? Making sure they didn't...touch something they shouldn't? Or...-?

 _ **Whoa.**_

Lapis was momentarily stunned. She'd forgotten: the Crystal Gems housed a warp pad here. There was a brief moment where Lapis was tempted to just... _warp._ Somewhere. Anywhere. Alone.

She could be _alone._

But her flights of fancy were quickly weighted down by the reminder that, according to Peridot, it was a bust. The warp pads of this planet had no direct line to Homeworld. Still...-

"She'd be quite upset."

Wait...what?

Garnet had spoke. And it had sent a shiver down Lapis' Gem.

Lapis looked over her shoulder to the Fusion.

Garnet spoke again.

"Humor her. She'll get bored soon enough."

Lapis felt a bit light-headed for just a moment. Did Garnet really know Peridot that well?

"LAZULI! LAZULI! HEY, HEY, LAZULI!"

Peridot was shrieking with excitement from the second floor of Steven's home, raising her voice much higher than was necessary.

"What is it?" Lapis asked, a bit of laughter leaking through.

"I REQUIRE ASSISTANCE! WE SHALL SAVOR GLORIOUS SATISFACTION FROM THE KNOWLEDGE OF EVENTS YET _WITNESSED_!"

–

"But why don't they stop...crying? I mean, what's the _function_ of crying if they're _happy?_ "

"Maybe they're not happy."

"How could they _not_ be? The metal instrument _forgave_ the green fruit. The conflict has been _resolved._ "

"I'm...not sure it's as simple as that."

"Is this how _our_ fruit soldiers will operate after germinating?"

"How would I know?"

"You've _lived_ here."

"I've _existed_ here."

"R-right...Well. I suppose we'll just need to discipline our Kuh-Orn army properly to avoid these Earthly habits of... _crying._ It may be messy, but I'll likely have to excise some from our ranks to set a clear example for the rest."

Upon attempting to use Steven's video disc device, Peridot had realized she had no idea where the missing disc of ' _Camp Pining Hearts_ ' was located. She'd just...assumed it would've been in plain sight, apparently. That assumption was incorrect.

Instead, Lapis and Peridot had found a program called ' _Sad Breakfast Friends_ ' already inserted. They'd tried watching a couple of episodes, but had only emerged further confused. Peridot had become fixated on how the organisms portrayed had faces and everything, but she then became frustrated by how said organisms spent all of their time being sad. Lapis had explained this was...clearly in the title of the show. But-...

Having finished the current episode, Lapis ejected the video disc while Peridot rambled under her breath about a-grow-cultural factors which would result in plant soldiers possessing the 'desired traits' for combat.

Lapis tuned out this talk, spacing out a bit in her own head as she found herself wondering what Peridot would do if their seeds really did grow into soldiers. Part of her...didn't want that. Part of her would prefer crying fruits to soldiers.

Before Lapis knew it, Peridot was downstairs, complaining to Garnet. With a quick glide, Lapis landed beside them.

" _What?_ What do you _mean_ he's going to be busy?"

"I have Crystal Gem business I need his help attending to when he returns."

"But you told us we could _wait_."

"You can."

"But...-!"

Lapis clamped a hand on Peridot's head, calming her.

Lapis asserted, "We'll...just come back some other time."

Garnet nodded. She then walked past them.

"Buhh...-!" Peridot whimpered with frustration. "But we came all the way _here_ to see Steven! What are we supposed to do _now?_ "

"You'll figure something out," said Garnet.

Garnet walked to Steven's short table, picked up something, then came back over.

Garnet handed the object to Lapis.

"Here," said Garnet.

Lapis was puzzled. It was...some green colored...flat...thing. A piece of paper? It had the image of a human face on it, surrounded by human language and...intricate patterns.

Lapis lifted her hand to accept the object, but paused with hesitation.

"What's this?" Lapis suspiciously wondered.

"Something you'll need," said Garnet.

Lapis felt Garnet's stare piercing through her from behind the orange eyepiece she wore. Her Gem tingled a bit, and she took the piece of green paper in her hand.

Peridot gasped, tugging at her cheeks as she gawked at this exchange.

"I know _what that is...!_ " Peridot whispered with awe. " _That_...is _human currency!_ "

"Correct," said Garnet. "Greg left some for Steven, but...I think you need it more than he does right now."

"Lapis-Lapis-Lapis...!" Peridot tugged at Lapis' skirt. "I know _exactly_ how to use this!"

"Do you, now?" said Lapis, leveling the paper just out of Peri's reach.

"Yes-yes!" Peridot excitedly insisted, grasping her little hands up.

Lapis couldn't help but smile a little, confused as she was.

She lowered her hand, allowing Peridot to snatch the currency.

"Let's _go already_!" Peridot squealed, bouncing on her little feet.

"OK," Lapis conceded. She could already feel herself getting exhausted from Peri's abundance of energy over this.

But when she looked up to Garnet, Lapis was surprised.

Garnet was smiling.

"Have fun, you two," said Garnet.

Lapis felt her back shiver, but...this time in a warm way, rather than a cold one?

Lapis found herself being dragged outside by the edge of her skirt.

"Um, thanks," Lapis managed to eke out whilst being removed from the Crystal Gems' lair.


	2. Part 2

Peridot was...yep, still...pretty excitable.

"Hoo-hoo-heh-hweh-hweh-hee-hee..."

"Where are we...-?" Lapis wondered, watching Peridot trip at the end of the wooden stairs down.

But without incident, the Gem dusted herself off and kept on going.

Lapis realized that she'd just have to wait and see what the fuss was about.

Within moments, Lapis found herself on the outskirt of the human city, standing before a small, square structure with a glass wall.

"Steven visits this human shrine to worship these...these indigestible idols – _with regularity,_ I might add. Perhaps if we analyzed this ritual...dare I say, _partook_ in it? It might add some understanding to life on Earth." Lapis was unsure about this. Peridot, seeing this, added, "Or, at the _very_ least, some understanding of _Steven,_ perhaps?"

She had Lapis there. Lapis found Steven to be...fascinating. Something she had in common with practically every Gem who spent time around the hybrid being. Peridot was...who she was now...because of Steven. And so was Lapis Lazuli. If Lapis and Peridot could understand how Steven functioned even somewhat, that...could only lead to good things, right?

And so, Lapis shrugged and nodded half-heartedly, as much a confirmation as she felt comfortable giving.

With this, Peridot approached what seemed to be the entry way door. There were two humans standing at a counter within, gawking at them with curiosity.

"Ooh!" Peri whispered to herself. "Maybe I can...-" She thrust up her hands, still clenching the green paper in one fist. She grunted and growled, straining herself – the metal frame of the door rattled slightly, but didn't seem to want to open.

Lapis smiled a little at Peridot's effort, at least.

Noting how much she was putting herself into it, Lapis realized that Peri had squinted her eyes shut in concentration.

Lapis took this opportunity to lean over, extend her arm, and push the door open. A strange sound startled her – almost like the shortest of songs? But Peridot was none the wiser to this simple act, assuming she had manipulated it open herself.

With a short taunt of victory, Peridot gloated a smile up at Lapis.

She then said quietly, cockily, "Let _me_ do the talking. I've done research on how this ritual transpires..."

With a swagger to her tiny steps, Peridot proceeded inward, leaving Lapis with a raised but endeared brow.

Lapis passed through the old-fashioned entry door and into this newer, even stranger human structure. The assault of colors and lights was offensive to her eyes. A little dizzying, even. Like her brain was being attacked, in a way. She didn't care for it. But it certainly seemed like human culture...

"W-welcome to the Big Donut," called out the shorter human, giving them a wary, uncertain grin. "How...can we help you?"

"Good day, service person!" Peridot courteously greeted with a stiff bow. "We're here to, _yurghh,_ obtain the...disaccharide idols which can...be acquired here." She wriggled the wrinkled green paper a bit. "We offer this... _urhhh,_ imprinted piece as our medium of exchange."

Lapis couldn't help but giggle a bit.

Both humans were a bit dumbstruck.

The shorter one and Lapis exchanged looks, and the human smiled with her.

The taller one snorted and choked on a laugh. But not a good laugh.

This human, with...enormous holes in his auditory organs...He wasn't laughing about Peridot the way Steven did. The way Lapis did. He was laughing...a different way. A way Lapis didn't care for.

"You look familiar," said the shorter human, struggling to lean over the counter to Peridot. "Friends of Steven's right?"

"That is _correct_ ," Peridot said formerly, with a tint of impatience. "I fail to see how that association would deny us service..."

"...Huh?" The poor shorter human was confused.

The grouchy-faced human observed, "I think Steven's _weirdo_ friend is trying to _buy_ something." His gaze turned to Lapis, and there was a strange spark to his eyes when they met hers. It bothered her in a way she couldn't explain. "And who are _you,_ Blue? You don't seem like the type who'd know _Steven_."

"Neither do you," Lapis curtly countered.

The smaller human seemed to like this reaction, and snorted a laugh – much like the sort the grumpy one had made at Peridot, only this one felt deserved. The taller one's cheeks brightened with discouraged embarrassment, but it seemed more related to the other human than what Lapis had said.

"Don't mind him," dismissed the shorter human. "Any friends of Steven's are welcome here."

"As long as you keep your creepy _magic_ under control," grunted the other human.

"Lars," whispered the shorter human irritably. Was that a...phrase of condemnation? Lapis wasn't familiar with it.

" _Ahem!_ " Peridot was slapping the human currency against the edge of the counter. "I am _providing_ a medium of exchange, and I would _like_ to _exchange_ it for your finest assortment of carbohydrates."

Sadie snort-giggled some more as she directed Peridot's attention to another counter – this one was clear, with all kinds of...those _things_...displayed within it.

"Well, I-I'm not really sure what the _finest_ donuts we have here are," the human said. "But...you can take a look at our flavors and let me know what you'd like."

" _Flavors_?" grunted Peridot with curiosity.

As Peridot and this human discussed the terms of their business transaction, the taller human bit his lip, hooked his thumbs over his pockets, and stared awkwardly at Lapis.

"What about you, Blue? What can I getcha?"

Oh, _now_ he was going to try and play nice?

"My name's not ' _Blue._ '"

"...Erh...R-right."

Silence between them. As intended. Lapis was happy to turn her attention away from this one.

Peridot was humming and groaning thoughtfully, her face pressed against the glass.

"How _many_ of these...mmmyee-objects can I acquire with _this_?" She flashed the green paper against the glass.

The shorter human, tickled with amusement, laughed out a reply.

"Half a dozen, I guess."

"I find this arrangement _satisfactory!_ " Peridot yammered.

" _Ha,_ ah-allright, well...which flavors did you want, then?"

"The ones with the densest disaccharide composition! Obviously..."

Awkward silence.

Lapis decided to translate loosely: "Which...ever ones you recommend."

"Sure. Y-yea, coming right up."

The short human went about selecting six of the requested items.

"Wanna ring them up for me?" she requested of the taller human, who rolled his eyes.

He grumbled under his breath as he punched his fingers on the keys of his clunky looking computing device.

"That'll be four-ninety-nine..."

Lapis knew those were...numbers. But she wasn't clear on what the human meant by them."

" _What?_ " squeaked Peridot. "I only have _one_ of these..."

"Uh...-" The taller human's brows furrowed with some alarm.

"It's a fiver," the shorter human said, placing the bag containing their goods on the countertop. "You're fine."

" _Enh?_ " Peridot grunted, starting to get panicky.

The shorter human swapped looks with Lapis, and they both smirked a little.

"You've got enough..." the human assured.

"W-well, _here,_ then," said Peridot, struggling to shove her arm up high enough to deliver the currency to the humans.

Lapis reached out her hand and helped the piece of paper climb over the counter's corner.

There was a loud ringing sound that emerged from the computing device, which struck a nerve of fright in Lapis' chest. The clanging of metal from beyond the counter was alarming as the taller human took the paper and hid it away. He then placed a single, tiny coin beside their bag.

"Aaaand here you go, guys," said the shorter one, shoving the bag of...things...toward them.

Peridot began to cackle a little as Lapis accepted the bag. It was...dry to the touch. Wrinkled, thin, and stiff. Paper? So they used paper as their medium of exchange, but... _also_ to carry the items they purchased with it? Bizarre.

The coin, though – that made sense. Lapis had seen coins long ago on this planet. In fact, she was a little surprised the humans still used them. The coin was smooth and pleasant to the touch, and Lapis was in awe at the fine details etched into its surface – again, another image of a human face. Humans seemed quite keen on displaying their racial pride upon their currency, didn't they? Was it to make it clear which race the currency was intended to be used by?

"Lapis! Lapis Lazuli!"

"Huh?"

Peridot was tugging at her skirt again.

"We've acquired _donuts_! Let's find an adequate location and I'll educate you on their use."

"Um...-"

"Enjoy!" bid the short human.

Peridot clawed and grasped up at Lapis, desiring the bag, which Lapis dropped unceremoniously to the floor. Peridot excitedly peered inside.

Peridot demanded, "Which facets of the human experience can be absorbed through the... _flavors_...you selected for us?"

The taller human sighed tiredly, rubbing his palm against his face.

The nicer human chuckled through her nose again and shrugged.

"Uh, well...' _fun_ ,' I guess."

"... _Fuhhhh-nnnn_..." Peridot nodded thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "Yes. Yes, I'm familiar with this concept...!"

"Are you _sure?_ " balked the grouchier human.

Lapis was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable in such prolonged company with strange humans – especially when Steven wasn't around to help her understand them.

"We'll...be leaving now," Lapis said warily, nudging Peridot along. She carried their human coin, while Peridot dragged their bag of 'donuts' behind her.

The more pleasant human bid them farewell: "Thanks for shopping at the Big Donut! Please come again."

Lapis gave the more polite human a wave of farewell. It was...at least nice to know there were other humans out there, like Steven and his...'Greg.' Beings who were kind, who weren't just speaking with her to _use_ her for some gain. Who didn't inherently _want_ something from her, other than perhaps to see her experience some small amount of...joy.

This was weird.

Gems couldn't afford to act like this. There was too much to _do._ Too much at stake.

And yet, here they were. Without much to do. With nothing at stake other than their own continued existence.

Lapis was jarred from her introspection by Peridot, who was snickering up a maniacal flurry. Tugging at Lapis' dress, Peridot led them around the building's exterior, around its side, and stopped them when they were out of sight of the humans. A strange container set against a black pathway loomed beside them. It...radiated a bizarre combination of unpleasant scenes. Peridot didn't seem to pay this any heed, however.

Instead, Peridot set their paper bag down, dug inside, and retrieved one of the items they'd just acquired. Peridot held it aloft like a relic, preparing to summon its power. Its slick surface glistened in the afternoon sunlight.

"At last," Peridot proclaimed, "we can glean some fraction of the secrets behind... _ **fun.**_ "

Lapis snort-giggled at her roommate's awe and wonder at something Lapis simply _knew_ did not merit such decorum.

"What do you _do_ with it?" Lapis wondered between laughs.

"You _ingest_ it!" Peridot stated, still holding it above her.

There was a pause. Lapis hooked her hand against her hip and waited.

"Sooo...How do you do _that_?" she posed, becoming genuinely curious.

Peridot's face had turned squeamish.

"W-w-well, I...I've _seen_ Steven do it...He, uh, _yeeee-urrghhhh...-!_ " Peridot squinted her eyes shut in fear. Her arms were tight, her whole body quivered, and she lowered the object to her face. Peridot perilously spitfired, "You-open-your-mandibles-and-insert-it-into-your- _body_!"

And with that, Peridot opened her mouth, shoved the object between her jaws, and clamped them down over it. Her face puffed out, she groaned through her nose, eyes still squinted.

Was she trying to absorb its information? Did humans encode things into the...molecular...structure of...-?

Oh.

Peridot was spitting the thing out now. It wasn't whole anymore, but...rather, a small pile of pieces. Almost like...dampened sand.

Lapis was amazed and confused. Wasn't the material supposed to be _absorbed?_ Didn't it become a _part_ of you when you ingested it? Had Peridot done it wrong, then? Maybe this was more complicated than Peridot had bargained for.

The sight of Peridot coughing and sputtering caused Lapis to instinctively reach her arm down and rub her friend's back.

"Are you all right?" Lapis asked softly. "Did it work?"

Peridot held up a finger, continuing to cough out little pieces.

"Mmmmaybe _you_ should try?" Peridot breathed out. "Yuh-... _You're_ a stronger Gem than I am. Mm-maybe you could...-"  
"I'm not putting one of those in my body," Lapis flatly declined.

Peridot fell to her knees in a snicker fit, and Lapis, bewildered, snort-laughed a little along with her.

"I think I...-" Peridot wheezed, clearing her vocal passages. "I _now_ understand what they mean when they talk about...biting off more than can be chewed! _Ahhhh_ -hahaha!"

Nothing on this planet made any sense.

And maybe that was OK, for now, with someone at her side. Someone who understood as little as she did, but who was brave enough to _try._

The ground beneath them was black and warm. Lapis sat down upon its surface, letting her hand take it its sun-baked heat, its rough texture. Peridot recovered from her self-induced laughter and sat down beside Lapis. Peridot brushed the last few particles from her tongue, wrinkled her nose, and sighed with relief. The way she smiled up at Lapis made her Gem shiver in that warm way, and she felt her face turn hot for a moment. She could see her smile causing the same effect on Peridot.

It made her uncomfortable and confused in a way she couldn't explain.

So she looked elsewhere.

Their strange but enjoyable moment was interrupted by an irritable groan from behind them. There was a rustling, loud and unpleasant, coming from the large container by the side of the human building.

"- _ **HAAUWWMM!-**_ "

The noise and the smell sickened Lapis.

The lid to the container popped open, and some...four-appendaged purple beast emerged. Licking its lips, it swayed its striped tail at them playfully and grinned. Lapis had seen some creatures similar to this one out in the country, but...never this bright in color. Perhaps a diet on human city materials...had caused it to grow, to change? That _did_ seem like a thing that organic Earth things... _did._

Peridot's enthused reaction to this creature sickened Lapis even more than the noise and the smell.

" _Amethyst?!_ "

Ah. No wonder something had seemed off about the beast. Lapis felt slightly embarrassed that she hadn't been able to tell...

In a flash, the third Crystal Gem appeared before them.

"Oh, hey, guys," she said smugly. "'Sup?"

And just like that, Peridot was...not at Lapis' side anymore.

"Amethyst! Amethyst! Ams! _**Big A!**_ " Peridot thrusted her hands out toward the pile of...stuff...she'd attempted to ingest. "Look what _I did!_ "

Amethyst blew hair out of her eye, jammed her grubby hands on her hips, and glanced at the mess Peridot had created.

"Oh, _what?_ " Amethyst panted with pleasant surprise, walking right over. "I came here for some scraps, but this is _pre-chewed_ donut, man! Smells fresh, too! Aw, thanks, Peri! Ya _shouldn't_ have!"

Amethyst opened her mouth and...shifted her tongue into a disgusting tendril that slurped up Peridot's chewed mess and...-

 _Ew._

Lapis couldn't watch.

She couldn't comprehend humans doing such a thing. This had to be an... _Amethyst_ behavior.

" _Aaaahyeheheh!_ " And Peridot found it charming? _Eugh._ "You're ingesting material _I already chewed_! How aytpical! You're a riot, Ams!"

"You know _me._ " Amethyst shrugged calmly, rubbing her stomach.

Amethyst and Lapis exchanged looks. Amethyst seemed intimidated. Maybe Lapis was staring... _too_ hard.

"What're ya'll doin' on yer bums out _here,_ anyway?" Amethyst took note of the bag sitting on the ground behind them. Lapis didn't appreciate looking at Amethyst right then. Not with the way Peridot's face was lighting up. As she dug through the bag, Amethyst noted, "I thought you liked the country life."

"Living together – alone – is interesting," Lapis said, rotating the human coin in her hands. She could _hear_ Amethyst _chewing,_ mashing her mandibles together behind her. _Eulgh._

"Yea! You and Steven should come visit again!" Peridot squealed. "I've learned _three_ more notes to that metal song!"

" _Pff,_ nice." Oh. _Now_ Amethyst was interested in that?

"And-and-and now that we understand how human entertainment functions, you could show us the series about the _servant_ who is _small_ and _elderly_!"

" _Mmph?_ " grunted Amethyst, scarfing down another donut.

"The-the, um, the...-" Peridot was flustered. Lapis knew why. And she didn't like why. Peridot snapped her fingers as she tried to remember. "That show you like! W-with the house servant! Who is small! _Short Squad,_ remember?" She wriggled her hand between herself and Amethyst, and Lapis did not like it.

" _Mmmmmm!_ " Amethyst nodded, her mouth full with yet another donut. She swallowed. _"Ohhhh,_ you mean _'Lil' Butler,_ '" Amethyst recalled. She sounded...a bit disinterested, to Lapis' relief.

"Yeeee- _ehss!_ " Peridot cried out with an enthused hop. "He appears and _behaves_ as an _elder_ human, but is _in the shape_ and _size_ an _infant_ human! _Eeehheheheyehyehyeh!_ " Peridot cut her laughter abruptly, then dryly stated, "The stark contrast is comical."

"Sounds...interesting," Lapis eked out, not wanting to be left out if this...was a thing that was going to happen. She...found herself _really_ displeased with the idea of Peridot and Amethyst making jokes, referencing some human culture... _thing_...that she didn't understand. Those 'only-us' moments were supposed to be _hers,_ not...Amethyst's. Amethyst already got to have those moments with Steven, and with the other Gems. They could do it as a group, the three of them. Or...or maybe Steven could watch, too! Yes. That sounded a lot better...

" _Meh,_ " Amethyst disregarded the whole deal. She shook crumbs from the bottom of the paper bag into her mouth. She cast her gaze sideways. "I'm...sorta _over_ that show? But if you wanna rent it, you could...always ask Greg, I guess..." Her cheek puffed up a little with dissatisfaction.

" _Mmmm_ ," Peridot hummed. Lapis wish she knew what the sound meant.

Amethyst crumpled the bag up and popped it into her mouth. Lapis hadn't said anything about it – about Amethyst stealing _their_ things. She'd secretly been hoping Peri would speak up. But, of course, Peri did not.

" _Hehh_ -nee-way," Amethyst sighed out, scratching at her read end. "Ya never answered my question, peeps. Why're ya _here_? Somethin' go wrong again at the ol' garbage shed?"

"Says the Gem who _eats_ garbage," Lapis bitterly murmured.

"Uh... _Yea? I_ ain't disrespectin' the garbage shed..."

"It's...really more of a _barn_ , I believe," Peridot quietly corrected. "A 'shed' is a different type of...-" She trailed off when she noticed the tension between Lapis and Amethyst.

Lapis coldly blew past Peri and replied to Amethyst. "It sounded like you _were_ disrespecting it."

The two of them flashed grouchy glares.

"Yo," Amethyst said, arms crossed. "What is your problem _this_ day of the week, anyway?"

"N- _no_ problems here, Amethyst," Peridot weakly persuaded in her squeaky tone.

"Oh, there are," Lapis disagreed quietly. "There are problems."

"What is yer _deal?_ I mean, _Peri_ here's changed," Amethyst pointed out, giving the green one an approving nod.

"This is true," Peri was quick to agree, quietly but insistently.

"She's gotten _better_ ," Amethyst added.

"Also true."

"She _likes_ it here."

"Yehh-...W-well, I'm... _fascinated_...by your planet, at least...Though I...-"

"But _Lapis,_ it's like... _you_ just...wanna keep being...a big _blah."_ Amethyst tossed her arms up with disgust, and it...stung a little. _"_ Like you think you're _better_ than the rest of us. Like you're _above_ us. Too _good_ for this world. Huh?"

Lapis felt her face contorting in those angry ways, felt her fists clenching in those angry ways, felt her shoulders tense up in those... _angry ways._ Those ways that made her scared.

Amethyst was wrong. She was _so_ wrong. It was the opposite. All the opposite.

Lapis Lazuli wasn't too good for this world. She wasn't good enough for _any_ world.

Lapis didn't deserve freedom. She didn't even have any idea what to _do with it._

Peridot...Jeez, poor Peridot was whimpering and trembling...Almost like _she_ was scared, too.

Maybe Peridot was _right_ to be scared. After all, Peri knew what Lazulis were capable of.

Lapis wanted Peridot to come to _her_ defense for a change. Lapis could...pummel spaceships out of the way, punch holes through human vessels, send Gems flying when they attacked those around her...

But the _only_ person she could rely on to protect _her_ was...Steven.

And that was...probably only because Steven did that for _everyone._ Right? _Lapis_ wasn't special.

"Well?!" Amethyst huffed impatiently. "Am I right? Or is somethin' _else_ crampin' yer style today?"

"You ate our donuts," Lapis flatly cited, her arms and knees know crossed against the warm black rock.

This was... _not_ the actual issue. But...Lapis wasn't entirely sure what was, really.

"Uh... _A-pff!_ Fer _real_?" Amethyst was unimpressed with this excuse. "Didn't know that'd _bother ya_ so much. I thought they were Peri's, anyway." Amethyst blew off the accusation.

"Ih-It's _fine!_ " Peridot insisted, grinning weakly between them. "Lapis didn't want to ingest them, anyway."

"She didn't ask permission," Lapis insisted, stung by how Peridot was sidelining her.

It just... _hurt_ to see Peridot, like... _scared._ Scared of making Lapis angry. Because Lapis _knew_ that fear was warranted. And that made it hurt even _more._ A feedback loop of pain, washing in, washing out, like waves hitting a shore. Keeping the sand _wet,_ never letting it _dry._

Amethyst grumbled, "Well, _excuse me_ for assuming that _barfing_ it up on the _ground_ didn't count as permission. I already _know_ ya'll aren't into the whole 'eating' thing..."

"Ihhhht's _true_!" Peridot inserted with a wary shrug.

"That's not the _point_ ," Lapis growled.

" _Gyehh_...-!" Peridot's pacifist shrug withered.

"Lapis, _chill_ ," Amethyst grunted. "It was _just_ some friggin' donuts."

Lapis exerted an irate huff, flicking up her wrists.

"Next thing you know, you'll come to our _home_ and...and start _eating_ things _there,_ right?!"

"... _Whoa._ Dude." Amethyst had sharply shed her casual defense. "You...seriously think I'd _do_ that?"

"O-of _course_ she doesn't!" Peridot squeaked. "She's...-! This...-! It's a joke! Right, Lazuli? Ha...heh!"

Lapis shot Peridot a cold glance.

"Do I _look_ like I'm joking?"

"... _No?_ " Peridot pathetically peeped.

"Whhhhat is yer _deallll_?" Amethyst whined quietly, shoving a pudgy palm over her face. "You're still _mad_ at us, aren't you? And I thought _Pearl_ had trouble letting go of stuff..."

"Don't compare me to _her,_ " Lapis snapped, rising to her feet. Her fists were shaking."Don't compare me to _anyone_."

"You're _still_ ticked at us about the mirror thing," Amethyst suspected. "Look, it's _not_ like we trapped you _ourselves_. We didn't _know_ you were still... _you_...in there."

"Just like all those _other_ Gems you've Bubbled?" Lapis huffed. "Out of sight, out of mind, right? How long will _those_ Gems have to wait until _they_ get set free?"

Lapis could feel the ocean behind her beginning to churn. She could feel the pulse of its mighty fingertip syncing with her own.

This conversation was done. And she...wasn't even sure why. It was...just _done._

"The Gems we _Poofed?_ " Amethyst cried. "We Bubbled them 'cuz they're _dangerous_ ," Amethyst cited with impatience, throwing up her arms. "They could _hurt_ somebody! They could hurt _themselves..._ "

" _ **I'm**_ **dangerous!** " Lapis bellowed, slamming her hand against her chest, inadvertently crashing a mighty wave against the shore rocks behind her. As the water sprayed overhead, she continued. " _ **I've**_ **hurt humans,** _ **I've**_ **hurt Gems,** _ **I've**_ **hurt myself!** "

It felt gratifying to see Amethyst tighten with shock and fear at Lapis' paltry display. It felt _good_ to be reminded that Lapis could single-handedly fight the lot of the Crystal Gems, all at once.

But, at the same time...seeing Peridot at the verge of tears, whimpering and shaking on the ground...that _didn't_ feel so great. That made her whole display...not worth it. Not at all.

So Lapis let go of her grip on the sea.

She noticed the two humans from inside the building were now outside, confused and alarmed.

She noticed Amethyst had drawn her weapon in instinctive defense.

She noticed Peridot had taken up a defensive stance in front of Amethyst.

She felt her face turn hot, turn wet...

Why was she about to cry when she had no...real reason to be _sad_?

Why couldn't she make Peridot understand?

Was this how Peridot had felt that day, back when Steven had shoved the two of them toward each other?

Either way, Lapis couldn't take it.

She sprouted wings and flipped backward, landing on the cold, dampened sands of the beach.

The waves kept coming, kept washing over her cold feet.

With some disgust, she dropped the copper-laced human coin into the sand, watching it get soaked with water.

She fell to her knees. She let the edges of the waves slide against her. She let her palms press into the wet sand. It pushed back at her, unlike the dry sand did. The water coming in, moving out, it moved her dress around. It put pressure against her legs, against her wrists.

Lapis Lazuli was not the sea, and it was not her.

She was not an Earthling, and Earth did not welcome her.

She was not on Homeworld, and it did not want her.

She was not like Peridot, and Peridot was not like her.

She was not a Crystal Gem, and she was not a Homeworld Gem.

Her connection to the ocean, to this _planet,_ to Peridot...It was all a tangled set of shackles and chains.  
Undesired, unwanted bonds, begrudgingly accepted.

Just like with Jasper.

Part of her had wanted to run away for a while. Be alone. Take a flight out of this weird, gross human city. Away from Crystal Gems, away from reminders of everything she was, and everything she wasn't.

But another part of her wanted Peridot to understand. And...maybe, just like how she'd held Jasper down beneath the ocean for so long...so, too, did that part of her keep the rest of her within eyesight of Peridot.

She _wanted_ the shackles. She _wanted_ the chains.

Was that unhealthy, too?

Probably. If it was something Lapis Lazuli wanted...it was _probably_ unhealthy, wasn't it?


	3. Part 3

"HEYYYYY!" Peridot was squealing in the distance behind her. "HEY! HEY HEY HEY! HEY LAZULI!"

Lapis sighed bitterly to herself. She realized that tears were dripping down her face. Her cheeks were still wet and warm, an uncomfortable contradiction.

And then there was a **-thud!** \- behind her.

"Thanks," said Peridot.

"No prob," said Amethyst.

Lapis sniffed, rubbed her forearm over her face, and looked over her shoulder – Peridot and Amethyst were right there.

"Uh, could you not _hear_ me?" Peridot asked sheepishly. "Perhaps the...constant sound generated by the undulating waters was-"  
"I could hear you," Lapis rejected, looking back to the sand.

" _Yee_ -uhhhh...-" Peridot was wary. As she should be.

Lapis could snap in the state she was in; have a mental break. Hurt someone.  
She was feeling more riled up than she had in quite some time.

"Lazzy," called Amethyst. "Look, sorry about your donuts, n' stuff. I could give 'em back, if you want..."

Lapis slowly creaked her head around and shot Amethyst quite a grouchy glare. Amethyst's fist was jammed down her throat. She seemed to take the hint and pulled her arm back out.

"Yeeeaaahhh," Amethyst slowly breathed out, drying her hand on her shirt. "I'm...gon' let _choo_ deal with this, Peri," she mumbled. She gave Peridot an encouraging bump on the shoulder, causing the smaller Gem to stumble. "You got this, P-Dot. _Peace._ "

Peridot didn't sound as confident. And she whimpered when Amethyst went skidding off down the beach in some round shape.

Lapis wanted to lash out. To say something angry, or bitter, but...she couldn't. She didn't know what to say.

Peridot took a moment to steady herself.

Then, methodical, tiny steps drifted across the sand.  
They gained weight and sound as Peridot reached the darker, damper sand.

Lapis let her eyes slide to her right to watch Peridot, eyes forward, sit down beside her. She shuddered and shivered from the cold, but held her ground, seated in the sand.

As the next wave approached, Lapis saw Peridot tense up. As it crashed upon the shore, Lapis kept the water from touching either of them, and Peridot sighed with surprised relief. Lapis maintained this kinetic field around the, as they spoke.

" _Myehh_ -aiii apologize for...whatever I did that angered you," Peridot mumbled uncertainly.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Lapis admitted after a moment's relfection.

"Then _what_?" Peridot posed, turning her head to the left. "Your...behavior today has been... _uuuhhhn_ predictable! I'm...struggling to analyze your actions and piece together the cause and effect."

"I know," Lapis sighed.

"The catalyst _seems_ to be the Crystal Gems, correct?"

"Mm..."

"But we've interacted with them multiple times since resolving our conflict. Is this-...is this like the crying fruit and utensil?"

"Maybe," Lapis drizzled out, unsure.

"Wait. Wait-wait. I believe I've _deciphered_ the problem."

"Oh?"

"Of course! It's Steven. Or...correction, a _lack_ ofSteven?"

"I guess..." The thought had crossed Lapis' mind.

" _Then._ Was Amethyst's assessment...-" Peri clasped her fingertips together curiously. "-...accurate?"

Lapis' eyes rolled away from Peridot with some frustration.

"Why do you care what _she_ thinks...?"

" _Meh?_ I'm...simply seeking the facts," Peridot stated with sterility. "Your... _behavior_ just now _,_ it...-" She grimaced and spoke through clenched teeth. "-...makes-me-feel-unpleasant."

Lapis felt a small swell in her chest. A small tingle in her Gemstone.

"Because you're scared of what I'll do when I'm angry?" Lapis prodded.

"Oh, I'm _terrified_ of your strength," Peridot spit out. "I mean, you could level this entire human establishment if you wished to."

That tingling in Lapis' Jewel reverberated with pain. Peridot seemed aware of how this had come across and course-corrected.

" _Buhhhht_ my, urh, my unpleasant... _feelings_ -" The word seemed hard for her to confess. "-derive not from your show of force, or the risk thereof, but...rather...that you aren't experiencing the sensation of ' _fun'_ in my presence."

This was exactly – ...well, uh, maybe phrased a bit differently? – what Lapis had been wanting to hear.

Lapis wanted to hear Peridot continue speaking. So...she didn't say anything.

This made Peridot uncomfortable...which led to more nervous fidgeting, which led to more thinking, which led to more speaking.

"I am...aware that our undesired living arrangements have been...strenuous on a Gem such as yourself. Lapis Lazulis are not designed to be constrained in tight environments for prolonged periods of time, much less with...Peridots. There have been many instances where I've been...uncertain how to engage with you. _However._ I have been _...mmmmm_ -grateful and appreciative for you tolerating the terms of our sustained co-existence, even if by coersion or force."

Lapis sniffed, rubbing still-lingering traces of tears from her eyes.

"Yea," she said softly. She snorted a low giggle. "I'm...grateful, too. I know I'm not always easy to... _engage_ with. But...you've been doing a good job."

Peridot's expression lit up with wonder.

"... _I have_?" she asked quietly, her eyes sparkling from the praise.

Lapis grinned and nodded.

" _Oh_ ~" Peridot squeaked.

Lapis couldn't help but chuckled some more, her chest heavy with embarrassment. Peridot laughed alongside her, but...it was a more artificial laugh. For Lapis' sake. Which she was OK with.

"Peridot, I'm...sorry if I've been confusing today."

"Aghh, that's fine. I'm used to being confused on a daily basis by this point. I mean, _you_ confuse me _all_ the time!" She grinned in her...seeking-laughter way. "Enh? Am I...right?"

Lapis smiled warily and nodded.

She then said, her expression withering, "I thought...I'd be fine visiting this human city. But...I'm not."

"You seem intimidated by Earthlings."

"Maybe..."

"I don't comprehend your fear. Humans don't stand a _chance_ against you."

"Y-yea, but...-"

"There's nothing to be _scared_ of, really. They're harmless."

"I know, it's...more... _myself_."

"... _Enh?_ "

Lapis wiped her hand against her forehead, brushing her bangs aside. She watched another wave pass by, bending to her will as it did so.

"I wasn't happy on Homeworld," Lapis confessed. "I wasn't happy _here,_ either, but...-"

"But Steven helped you comprehend this planet's value."

Lapis couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"He did, yea. And I just...-" She sighed. Her eyes grew damp again. "It's like...Steven is the only one who can...-" She choked on her own words. Her sandy hand lifted to her face as she held back a sob.

" _Yuhhh-...!_ " Peridot grunted out fretfully. "Steven is a... _special_ specimen, but...there's still merit in having...fellow Gems who can properly relate with...your situation..."

"There _aren't_ any," Lapis whimpered bitterly, trying to recover from her swell of negative emotion. She stared with desperation through her teary eyes to Peridot, who was obviously struggling to provide some form of support.

" _Uhhh_...-!" Peridot fumbled up her hand, then awkwardly placed it against Lapis' arm. "I might not... _quite_ comprehend your specific...circumstances, but...your...ssssatisfication of existing on this planet is still important to me. Aaaaand not even on a purely academic level!"

Lapis took a deep breath, letting the cold, awkward touch of Peridot's palm calm her.

"Thanks," said Lapis quietly and meekly. She sniffed, then flicked her fingers, tugging remnants of tears from her eyes and dropping them into the sand. It was precisely situations like these which made 'crying' such a complicated thing.

After steadying herself, Lapis patted her hand against the back of Peridot's palm, readjusting her position, and breaking the contact between them.

Lapis then ruminated, "I thought I was at peace with this whole...situation."

"We're not exactly at _war_ anymore..."

"I know. But I'm not at at peace, either."

"Is there...something in-between those two things which I've not been informed about?"

"Huh?"

"War and peace. They're...quite squarely in opposition of one another...Is there something that lies in the parameters in-between? Is that what you're experiencing?"

"I'm not sure. But it feels like that, yea...Something in-between. Or both?"

" _Mmmm_." Peridot's thoughtful hum was filled with determination.

"That...must not make any sense."

"It does not," Peridot admitted. " _Buhhh-ttt_ that's OK! I'm simply... _wondering_...if there's any functionality I possess which could... _mmmmm_ -alleviate this confusing feeling?"

Lapis smiled weakly, sliding her gaze back to the flustered Peridot.

"Are you...trying to make me feel better?"

"I can't _make_ you feel _anything_ ," Peridot specified, twiddling her thumbs together. "But, seeing as how valuable an ally you've proven yourself to be, I am...willing and able to, erh...take on any duties which might, _yeergh,_ help you..."

Lapis paused for a moment of contemplation, savoring Peridot's flustered jitters. Lapis dug her hand through the damp sand, clutching clumps of it in her fists. She lifted them, watching as the shards slipped off her skin in uneven clumps.

She then posed, "I'm...assuming you're not talking about my value in terms of...intel, or physical force."

" _Nnnnnoo!_ " Peridot spat out, her worry quicker than her mouth. "I-I am... _adapting_ to...Earth. And...and that requires altering my angle of observation, _which,_ as you might imagine, dare I say, _concur_ , entails interpreting allies as... _more_ than fellow combatants. More than soldiers in allegiance."

Lapis was captivated the whole while as Peridot had rambled, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting with her eyewear.

"We're friends," Lapis concluded, with some hesitation.

Peridot's nervousness shattered into a giddy, tiny smile, her cheeks glowing.

"Y-you're quite...better at...expressing things with... _less_ words..."

"Haven't _had_ words to _use_ for...quite some time. So...-"

" _Guh-!_ Apologies, I was merely-"  
"It's OK," Lapis insisted with some warmth. She liked seeing Peridot be so sensitive about it for her sake.

But it wasn't necessary.

" _Mmmmmm_ it was intended to be a _compliment_ ," Peridot sighed with self-defeat.

"It _was_ one," acknowledged Lapis, still fascinating herself with the sand. She was starting to use her hydrokinesis to push water out of the stuff, watching it dry in a flash, and get carried by the sea breeze.

"I am...still _learning_ ," grumbled Peridot with some quiet despair.

"Me, too," Lapis said with empathy, rubbing her grainy fingers together.

The two fell quiet for a moment. The waves had been sliding around them, back and forth, all this time.

Peridot curled herself up a little, tucking her knees up with her arms, and setting her chin upon them.

Peridot confessed, "I was...quite terrified about the prospect of being stuck here. I put forth great effort at escaping...only to be sent back. I betrayed my _Diamond..._ I assumed everything was... _over_."

"Mm," Lapis hummed, relating in her own ways over her own imprisonment. She could still remember that flash of hope, of shock and alarm, upon seeing Steven's face for the first time, and realizing that in her complacency across such an expanse of time...Lapis Lazuli _wanted_ freedom.

She _wanted_ this.

It was easy, after the fact, to stew in the bitterness. In the hate. In the anger. And it did make her strong.

But...Peridot was not strong. She was not brave. Yet Peridot seemed...to be experiencing so much _joy,_ just from... _existing_ in this strange place. Lapis found herself envious of this on occasion.

"Fortunately," Peridot breathed out, continuing her thought with fidgeting fingers. "I have...come to discover that it is _not_ over. It never _was_ over. Quite the opposite, actually. I... _miss_ Homeworld...on occasion. But...I don't think it's specifically that planet's combination of traits which I desire."

"Yea," Lapis agreed simply. "It's that you feel lonely."

"Yeh-...!" Peridot's expression withered a bit. " _Yurgh,_ oh, _p-please,_ I haven't...endured anything _even close_ to what...-" She sighed dejectedly, trailing off.

"We're not _alone,_ though, are we?"

" _Enh?_ "

"Even if...the Crystal Gems left us...we still have a home. One we made for _ourselves._ We have each other."

There was an awkward lull in the conversation as they both dwelt on this idea. The idea of just...each other. The possibility of that...just being it for some untold time.

" _Ergh,_ y-yea," Peridot mumbled shakily. "It's not...a terribly well- _fortified_ home, and we'd be...practically defenseless in the face of a full-scale assault, but...-"  
"I didn't...mean it like that," Lapis dryly moaned, sifting her fingers through her bangs.

"Oh." Peridot drummed her palms in her lap warily.

Lapis could see the circuits in Peridot's triangle head sizzling with contemplation.

"You're...-" Peri lifted a meager finger. "-...referring to the more... _mmmm_ metaphysical gains of...our living arrangement... _yeargh_ n't you?" She'd concluded her sentence with a discouraged murmur.

"Um...-" Lapis tried to give her a reassuring smile. "...Sure."

Another...less than comfortable silence fell over them. A reminder of their inherent differences.

Lapis could _sense_ the tension building from Peridot. Some unspoken frustration. She was too upset herself to confront it, so...she waited until Peridot acted.

"I _understand,_ you know."

Peridot's words had spilled out with impatience. Lapis looked to her, and let her elaborate.

"I realize...I may consume too many _words_ in my pursuit of conveying ideas. _However._ I still... _process_ these...these _'feelings.'_ " Peridot hid away her eyewear. She clutched one hand against her chest, and the other against her Gem, grumbling with desperation, " _Yeeeghh_ -eye still _experience_ them!" Her face flushed a bit and she sighed deeply, rubbing at her eyes. Hands still over her face, she grumbled, "I am still learning...Uhhh-bout this planet's _bizarre_ climate changes, the...the _impractical_ usage of Fusion for Earth Gems, the...the needlessly _complicated_ manners in which humans engage with each other. It's...a bit much. _But._ Amidst this chaotic acquisition of knowledge, I-..." Peridot paused, her eyes having grown wide at Lapis' likewise curious expression. Peridot took a breath, cleared her throat, and looked away, fussing her palms together. "Residing – here – on Earth, with... _you_ , it...has been an unexpected... _pleasure?"_

"Y-yea, same," Lapis murmured hastily. She hadn't known what to expect from Peri, but...this kind of earnest expression was... _not_ in the range of any of her expectations going into this day trip.

"Same?" Peridot huffed with disbelief, letting her hands drop. " _What_ is 'same?' There are... _so_ many differences..."

"What you said," Lapis stated calmly but firmly. "My _feelings,_ they're...the same. As yours."

" _Eeeghh-_ oh. I, _ergh_...-" Peridot's cheeks had darkened with color. "Thhhhen you wish to remain roommates."

"Sure."

"... _Sure?_ Nnnnot-...Not ' _yes?_ '"

"Oh. Y-yea, I mean...-"  
"Because I could... _understand_ if...-"  
"No, it's fine, I just...-"  
"-...you required, _urhm,_ space, to process...-"  
"-...have been trying to adjust to...-"

After fumbling their words around each other's a bit, they both caught each other's embarrassed expressions, and devolved into nervous chuckles.

"Peridot, you don't need to worry about me so much, you know."

" _Enh?_ You're...probably the most powerful Gem I've met on this planet so far. I'm...not really concerned about your safety, you can clearly defend yourself."

"I _meant_...-" Lapis softly laughed through her nose and sighed.

"I know!" Peridot burst out suddenly, giggling to herself. "I...I subverted your expectations with-... _Ahhhh,_ hehehahaheeha...You're welcome." She was grinning stupidly, her face still flushed.

Lapis smirked back, snapped her fingers, and replied, "For the joke."

She didn't...quite understand what attempt at humor Peridot had made, but...she still appreciated it. The attempt. That was the important part, really. The other Gems...they weren't attempting. They were avoiding.

In the quiet moments that followed, Peridot seemed keen on...something. Her expression went puzzled. She leaned forward. She flicked up her arms a few times.

The small copper-laced coin of human currency popped up out of the wet sand, and Peridot levitated it toward herself, studying it calmly.

After a few more seconds of peaceful stillness, Peridot shivered a bit. Sitting in the damp sand as the cold ocean water continued to slosh inward and outward around them was probably getting a bit chilly for a Gem not so used to water.

Lapis stood up, pushed out her hand, and held the ocean back for a moment.

She proposed, "Let's...go warm up a little." She took steps backward, away from the shore.

Peridot obeyed without a word, following her with pattering little steps.

"Hey, Lazuli," said Peri as they walked.

"Yea?"

"You, _urghmmm-..._ I don't think I've conveyed my appreciation for...your protection."

"...What?"

" _Yuh-...!_ You-...Your protection..." Peridot repeated, less confidently this time. "Despite...Homeworld's attempts at retrieving the valuable information and skills I possess, I...don't...feel unsafe in your presence."

"Oh..." Lapis figured she...got what Peri was getting at. "Yea. Same."

"...Same...'feelings'?"

"Mm." Lapis nodded.

The dried grains of sand were sticking to their damp feet as they got to a warmer, dryer section of the beach.

Lapis added, "These kinds of feelings for...other Gems, I've just...never understood what that felt like, is all. Like... _actively_ enjoying their company, just...for the sake of...having company."

"Mm-hm, mm-hm," Peridot hummed thoughtfully, her hands tucked behind her back. "It _is_ rather impractical, isn't it...?"

Lapis decided she'd found a nice spot for them in the middle of the yellow, dry sea of sand. She sat herself down.

She cited, "But the way Steven talks about it, it's...sort of like that's what's _expected_ from living here."

Peridot sat beside her, stating, "It's as if life on Earth seems less about...productivity, and more...about experiential concepts. It's... _pretty_ illogical, but...I've been coming to _enjoy_ learning how to function in this way."

"...Yea."

Not for morale.

Not for colonization.

Not for combat.

Not for intel.

Just...joy.

Life on Earth couldn't be that simple. And yet, there were some humans who acted like Steven – who worked toward that illogical, miniscule thing, like grains of sand clinging to a dampened foot.

Sitting beside Peridot in the bright afternoon sunlught, Lapis found herself realizing that Peridot was like the sand. That _she_ was like the sand. That _humans_ were like the sand.

They could change properties, change function, change how they acted, how they _reacted,_ change how they _collided_ with one another...All of it could change, depending on the circumstances surrounding them.

Lapis Lazuli had been, for all intents and purposes, submerging Peridot. Holding her down. Holding _everyone_ down. She couldn't transform at will – neither could sand. But, like moving sand from the water to the sun...she could change the context, change the properties she was exposing herself to.

Wasn't that why she'd taken Peridot on this trip, after all?

As they sat in silence, Lapis enjoyed the scent of the tiniest of salt crystals in the air. The sound of the ocean pushing and pulling against the planet, willed by cosmic strings and gravity, opposing each other one moment, cooperating the next. The peaceful look on Peridot's timid face, as if she wanted to speak but was too bashful to say what was on her mind.

Lapis reached out her arm toward Peridot and...planted her palm against the prickly hair on Peridot's head, squashing the sharp triangle. She watched with some satisfaction as Peridot froze, wide-eyed.

The reflection of the ocean in Peridot's eyewear was a small joy in and of itself.

When Peridot twisted her head to meet Lapis' gaze, Lapis saw her own reflection in those glasses for a brief moment. She saw herself...smiling.

"Uhhh...-?" was what Peridot managed to utter.

Lapis felt an intense warmth suddenly strike her.

Her back felt...on _fire._

She could see Peridot's head light up – literally. Peridot's Gem was glowing. Lapis realized that hers was, too. Her back was tingling again...in the most wonderful way.

"LAPIS?! PERIDOOOOOT~"

The two Gems were startled out of their...strange state.

It had been Steven's voice which had cut through their moment.

His pounding steps shifted so much sand as he approached them excitedly, waving his arms about.

Lapis felt her Gem swell with joy at the sight of the half-Gem, half-human.

"Steven?"  
" _Steven!_ "

As Steven reached them, he slowed, and the two Gems rose to their feet.

"We thought you had...some kind of 'business' to attend to," Peridot cited.

"Huh?" Steven scratched at his poofy hair. "I was training with Amethyst a bit, but...when I got back, Garnet told me you two were In Beach City. On the _beach!_ So here I am. It's been a while!"

Lapis and Peridot exchanged glances, confused.

"What's wrong?" Steven asked, picking up on their perplexed looks. "Did something happen at the barn?"

"N-nothing's wrong," Lapis insisted warily.

"Your Pearl is helping us fix some equipment," Peridot pointed out. "Weeee...thought we'd come experience your human camp for a little while."

"We saw one of your shows," Lapis pointed out, struggling to find something to connect with him about.

"Oh?" said Steven.

Peridot nervously added, "I, _yurgh,_ am still comprehending the functionality of... _crying_ , but...ihhhhht was interesting to watch."

Steven blinked at Peridot a bit, lifting his brow.

" _Oh!_ " Peridot squealed, holding out her hand, with the human coin within. "We also acquired some...edible human dreadnaughts!"

Steven blinked a couple times.

"Doh-nuts," Lapis corrected gently.

"I ate one!" Peridot exclaimed bluntly. "Then Amesthyst ate it!"

Steven's brows furrowed even more.

"Steven. What should we do with this human coin?" Lapis asked, sheepishly working around Peridot's embarrassing exclamations.

"Huh?" Steven glanced at Lapis, then to Peridot, then to the object in Peridot's hand. "Oh!" He smacked himself upside the head and chuckled a bit. "That's a penny, you guys! You could...make a wish!"

Lapis and Peridot were aghast. Pen-ee? Wishes?

Steven noted their perplexed expressions and laughed in his ' _a-huh-huh'_ little way. It warmed Lapis, seeing his chubby, grinning face, full of joy...and then deep in thought.

Steven scratched his chin for a moment, studying their environs.

" _Hmmm_..." Steven tapped his foot against the sand. "Well, we could always just use the ocean, I _guess_..."

"Use the ocean?" Lapis asked, a bit concerned. "For what?"

"For making a wish!" Steven replied simply. "Come on!" He waved them onward, and they followed him to the shore.

Lapis was...a little disappointed, in a way, that Steven had come along. The aura of this being, he just...had a way of capturing the attention of everyone around him...And this was fine, and Lapis loved that, but, it had...taken her attention away from Peridot. And taken Peridot's attention away from her.

That was a little sad, in a way. Even though Lapis was happy to see Steven.

Sad, but...happy, at the same time?  
That seemed to be how life on Earth worked...Feeling two distinctly different things at once.

"-...and then you just... _throw_ it." Steven tossed his arm up toward the sea.

"I... _throw_ it?" Peridot mumbled dubiously, staring at the coin in her hand.

"That's right," insisted Steven.

"But...wouldn't it be more productive to _trade_ it for something?"

" _Ha,_ it's...only worth one cent," snickered Steven. "You...won't really be able to buy anything with it."

"But you can buy a _wish_?" Lapis doubted.

"Oh. W-well, it's...not exactly...-" Steven fumbled with his thoughts, and Lapis actually felt bad.

" _Ohhh,_ it's not a _purchase_ ," Peridot sorted out. "It's...a human ritual. To incite certain socio-cultural tendencies. A...placebo."

"...Yes," Steven blankly agreed, pointing a finger of acknowledgment to Peridot. His eyes shifted to the curious Lapis, and his solemn agreeing withered into a nervous chuckle. "Heheh...Yep. Lookit _choo,_ Peridot, figuring out...human...stuff."

"It seems _pretty_ simple, Steven."

Peridot shrugged, clenched the coin in her hand, and reeled her arm back.

" _Wuhhh_ -wait!" Steven yelped, flashing out his palms. "You have to make a _wish_ first!" he chuckled.

Peridot froze in place, her hand pulled behind her.

" _Whuh_...-?" Peridot gasped. "I can't...figure out the 'wish' part after?"

"Nope, you gotta do it _before_."

Peridot, still frozen in place, arm at the ready, slid her narrowed eyes to Lapis. Lapis smiled, clasping her palms around Peridot's wrist. She felt Peridot's form relax.

"I'll help," Lapis Lazuli said softly, giving Peridot a warm smirk.

Peridot gawked up at her, eyes twinkling.

"All right, Steven," said Lapis, looking toward the Rose Quartz hyrbid. "What do we do?"

Steven paused, glancing at their clasped hands, and grinned.

"You make a wish," he said simply.

Peridot wondered, "But... _how_ do we do _that_?"

Steven laughed a little, rubbing his stomach.

"You've never made a wish?" he said, awestruck. "It's easy. You...close your eyes."

Lapis hesitated. That idea didn't settle well for her.

But Peridot closed her eyes.

So Lapis closed her eyes.

She focused on the way Peridot's hand was trembling within her own clutches. She could feel the metal coin rattling. Vibrating within Peridot's palm.

"Now," instructed Steven. "You think _reeeaally_ hard about something you hope will happen!"

Lapis' brain felt...empty.

She could feel Peridot's fingers tighten, that metal coin shaking even more within their combined grip.

And Lapis' brain suddenly felt less empty.

And that warmth came back.  
And she could feel her Gem glowing.  
And she could feel Peridot's Gem glowing.

She wanted to keep Peridot held within her hands.

"Then you _throw_!" chirped Steven.

But Lapis knew she had to let go for now.

So the millisecond that she felt Peridot's arm move, Lapis released her grip.

Peridot whipped the coin through the air, keeping her arm held out with spread fingers. The metal piece whizzed high and far, sailing over the sea.

Lapis flicked out her wrist, tightening her grip on the waters in the distance, and lifted her arm up.

A a massive ocean hand emerged, catching the tiny metal coin with a sound so small, she couldn't hear it, only feel its small little ripples.

Steven gasped with surprise and laughed heartily at their combined display.

"Yea-heah!" he cheered with a hop. "Haha! _Wooooo~!_ "

Lapis, opening her eyes, pulled the ocean's fist back down, taking the coin – and their wish – back to the depths. Maybe that was where all of Lapis' wishes deserved to be. For now, at least.

"That was a. G _ood. Throw_!" Steven encouraged Peridot. " _Somebody's_ been practicing~!" He winked her way pointing out his fingers at her. She grinned and pointed back.

" _Ihhhhhts_ me," Peridot plainly specified. " _I've_ been practicing. My metal-kinesis, to be exact."

Steven laughed at this, which made Peridot laugh, and Lapis smiled – this seemed like some kind of...joke? It had gone over her head, but...she liked seeing Steven laughing. And she _really_ liked seeing Peridot laughing.

"So! Lapis." Peridot strolled over with Steven. She smiled sheepishly. "What...theoretical event did you...mmmm- _think_ about?"

"I-I dunno," Lapis dodged the question with a single shouldered shrug. "What did... _you_...think about?"

" _Noo_ -hoho," Steven slyly intruded, waggling his finger at the. "No-no-no! You can't _talk_ about your wish! You gotta keep it a secret! Or else it can never come true!"

"Oh," said Lapis plainly, with a tint of disappointment. "We don't... _ever_ talk about it...?"

"W-well, you...you _can,_ " Steven mumbled fretfully. "M-maybe _eventually,_ but...-"

" _Ahhh_ ," Peridot burst out. "The timing must be appropriate," she concluded.

"Right!" Steven agreed, relieved at the assessment. "Wishes...take time to grow."

" _Huh_ ," Peridot grunted. "Does that mean _they,_ too,need to be submerged in dirt and provided with ample amounts of water and sunlight?"

"...What?" murmured back Steven.

"Don't worry about it," Lapis replied. "It's...something she's experimenting with."

Steven swapped amused glances with Lapis, then shrugged it off.

Then, an unsettling, _disturbing_ noise emerged from Steven's abdomen.

"Heh..." He smiled weakly, rubbing his hand against his Gem. "Guess I worked up an appetite with all of that training." He looked up toward the human city – to the building where Lapis and Peridot had procured those... _dough-nuts._ "And I know _just_ the place to _recharge_ these bad boys~" He patted one palm against his opposing arm with a self-encouraging smile. "Did you wanna come?" He began to scramble his way down the beach.

"...No," said Lapis bluntly. Peridot took her lead and shook her head squeamishly.

"O-OK!" Steven called back, waving toward them. "Guess I'll...be back in a sec! Don't...go _flying off_ on me now~!"

Lapis and Peridot waved back toward him, continuing to stand side by side as his chuckling, round form got smaller.

" _Yee_ -eye...still don't _understand_ the significance of those edible devices," Peridot mumbled disparagingly.

"Maybe it's...something we _can't_ understand," Lapis theorized. "But...they make _Steven_ happy. That's...all I really need to know about them, I guess."

Peridot nodded, tapping her finger against her lips.

"Perhaps," Peridot decided, "comprehending _every_ detail about life on Earth isn't... _required_ to...experience sufficient ' _feelings_ ' about it." She sounded a little disappointed. "Maybe our a-grow-culture experiment is... _also_ pointless..."

"It's not pointless," Lapis clarified. "Just because things are complicated here doesn't mean we can't...learn about how _some_ of it works..."

"Yea," Peridot immediately agreed. "At the _very_ least, we can generate an army to help defend our home!"

"...Shhhhure," Lapis conceded, still uncertain about that aspect of their venture.

"I, for one, am appreciative in the knowledge that a Gem such as yourself will be assisting me in the process of analyzing this planet's data, however thorough or inconclusive that analysis might be."

"Happy to help," said Lapis dryly, slightly stung. "Not like I have...anything better to be _doing_ , I guess..."

"Oh, but you _do!_ " Peridot proclaimed. "You're a _Lapis Lazuli._ You-...! You could be flying to far off locales, establishing outposts beneath the ocean, _conquering human cities_ , juh-..." She caught herself getting worked up, and after Lapis planted her palm against that pointy hair, Peri took a breath and slowed down. "You could be doing so _many_ things. Things _far_ more productive than...looking after _me._ "

Lapis was endeared by Peridot's nervous body language.

Lapis took a few steps toward the ocean. She looked over her shoulder to her roommate, who was fidgeting with her fingers again.

"Well..." said Lapis gently. "Maybe I _like_ looking after you."

Giving Peridot as earnest a smile as she could, Lapis could feel her own face burning up. Peridot's dorky little chuckles of glee were stifled, but all the same amusing.

"I...appreciate the assistance, Lapis," Peridot mumbled.

"I guess," ruminated Lapis, raising her hands up. "we should get back to our experiments, then."

Lapis flicked her wrists, culling out a tentacled arm of the ocean. She watched the way it cast a glazed shadow against the sand before her. Rays of light quivering and wobbling in the midst of the shade cast by the liquid mass upon the dry fragments of shattered Earth.

Lapis ripped her ocean arm free, and let it drop against the ground, creating a path of dampened sand. Somewhere between sun-laden and submerged.

Lapis Lazuli took slow, careful steps across this path she'd created. She savored the strange sensation of those damp particles of stone sticking, clinging to her feet. With each step upon the Earth, a tiny fraction of it stuck with her.

The pitter-patter of Peridot footsteps behind her was relaxing.

"GUYS!"

It was Steven, shouting from up the rocky hill behind them.

Touting a bag aloft, he cried out, "WHO's UP FOR DONUTS?"


End file.
